Page 96 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Ihg-eilb-EsA JrglL By 2 February, with the Go Vap area
back to norrnal, {ighting spilled over into the Binh Hoa Intersection in
Gia Dinh City. This section was a very populated area with a cornpli-
cated road systern, trVhen the 38th Ranger Battalion arrived at the
intersection o{ Nguyen Van Hoc and Truong Cong DinhStreets' at
0800 hours, its {orward elernents recej.ved heavy fire {rorn V. C' troops
positioned along both str e et s.
Although supported by a colurnn of M. ll3 arrnored person-
nel car rie r s, friendly troops restrained their 1'esponse since overreaction
rnight have brought about many unnecessary civilian casualties' A B' 40
ro&et had exploded in the path of the advancing colurnn in the very first
rninutes oI this battle. Although it did no darnage, it killed a Green Beret
and wounded two others. For these reasons the Ranger cornrnander
stopped the colurnn and called upon the population to evacuate the battle
area. The insurgents, as they had done on previous occasions' did their
best to prevent the civilians frorn cornplying.
During the relative lull that ensued,the Cornrnunists with-
drew to the rnany blind a11eys and side streets with the hope of hitting
the governrnent colurnn frorn behind, It was about ten orclock when the
enerrly rrrovelrtent started and it was irnrnediately reported to the Ran-
gers, They at once blocked the enerny route. Unable to do what they
had set out to do,the Cornrnunists took refuge in a pagoda and a cernetery
on Phan Van TriStreet. They also occupied a rnulti-storied building
at the Binh Hoa Intersection'

The Rangers once rnole had to call on the population to
leave the battle zone, telling thern that governrnent forces would attack
the Viet Cong force within hatf an hour. As soon as the Green Berets
resurned their advance,the Cornrnunist directed a hail of bullets at
thern. Helicopter gunships had been called and their deadly {ire soon
rnade the situation untenable for the intruders.

Within rninutes after the arrival of the gunships a V' C'
platoon lay dead with their weapons. They {e11 in front of the pagoda
where they had sought refuge. Faced with such firepower, the Cornrnu-
nists had no choice but to retreat in the direction of the cernetery'
Close to the cernetery was a concrete house which the insurgents
prornptly occupied. Meanwhile the Rangers also had assaulted two
nearby houses and ki1led three insurgents whose bodies could be seen
frorn hundreds of yards awaY.
By this tirne the {ighting had developed into an imrnense

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